Feral Cat Gave Birth To Litter Inside. Now What?

[RavenMistwolf]

Hi all.

So there’s this feral cat who I have bonded with over the last couple years. She has come to trust me and no other humans. She often comes just inside my door to hang out for hours, but the door is always left open so she can leave whenever she wants. She is even friends with one of my indoor cats.

HISTORY: She has had previous litters. The first 3 were hidden from me because it was before she trusted me. The fourth one was on my patio four months ago. I still have two kittens from that litter living inside with me. I have been unsuccessful at catching her while she was NOT pregnant or nursing to get her spayed, so please don’t respond with comments or questions about that. I do have a plan and will get her spayed as soon as possible. But this post isn’t about this.

NOW...

Yesterday morning, she gave birth to a litter of kittens inside my apartment. While she was in pre-labor, she was VERY insistent on being inside and got very upset whenever I closed the door. I got a box, put some towels in it, and put it on the floor by the door. She went into labor after a couple hours and gave birth inside. But now I don’t know what to do.

She’s feral. She’s not used to being inside. She gets very stressed when inside with the door closed. So she wants to go outside. She had all her previous litters outside, so I know she can do it. The problem is that I can’t keep my door open all the time for her to be able to come and go freely since I need to sleep and work.

As of right now, the new litter is in a cat house inside my apartment and she is staying with them.
But every couple hours, she’ll get up, look around, grab one of the kittens, and start walking toward the patio door like she wants to bring them outside. But as soon as she gets to the door (which I open for her), she stops, turns around, and returns to the cat house where she came from like she just realized she doesn’t know where to take them.
If I try to help her and move the cat house (with the kittens inside) onto the patio (so they’re both outside and in a shelter), she immediately grabs one and runs inside with it.

I don’t want to separate them from their mom, since that’s how they have the best chance of survival. And she’s an excellent mom! And I don’t want to stress her to the point of abandoning them or hiding them because she can’t figure out where to keep them.

So basically...
• mom doesn’t like being inside
• when the kittens are inside, mom wants to bring them outside
• when the kittens are outside, mom wants to bring them inside
• I have no way to let her come and go freely to have the best of both worlds

What should I do? What’s the best way to handle this? I really don’t know.

 

[StefanZ]

Interesting. But she apparently accepts and wants to be inside!

Perhaps a new enemy outside??

Does she has a litter inside?

tty to keep her strictly inside. Perhaps calming music on? a feliway diffuser on?

 

[RavenMistwolf]

That is possible. There is a male cat that comes by sometimes who she hates. He came by while she was in labor and she immediately smelled that he’d been there and hissed when she went back outside.

I just really don’t know how to make her truly comfortable inside. She does take some comfort from her kittens from the previous litter, but she’s still clearly antsy. It’s such a tough situation! Especially since I have a small place, so I don’t really have the space to put her in a room by herself where my indoor cats won’t bother her.

I do have some calming spray. I think I’ll use a bit more of that. I don’t think she’d appreciate music.

 

[RavenMistwolf]

Does she has a litter inside?

tty to keep her strictly inside. Perhaps calming music on? a feliway diffuser on?

I just realized I might’ve misinterpreted your question. Were you asking if she has a litter box inside?

Also, did you mean “try”? I kept think “tty” was some acronym I didn’t know until this thought occurred to me. (I’m not trying to be nit picky about your typing or anything! I just want to make sure I fully understand what you meant.)

 

[StefanZ]

Correct, I meant litter box, and try. Writing on Iphone makes it painful to write, and double so, to do any corrections. I did tried with tty twice...

NOW Im on my computer. And even the monitor is decent.

 

[StefanZ]

You could even use a cage / crate. For example a big dog cage. She will probably feel it as a protection! It IS a protection from your residents. And they will be protected from her... Lay a towel or some tissue on a big part of the cage so it will feel as a hidey hole. This will also solve a big part of the problem you really dont have enough with rooms.
And put in a Feliway adapter in that room. You can alternatively spray in a sprayable Feliway now and then in this room. (or this calming spray you do already have. )

Anyway, this is a beautiful example cats, even ferales, are usually good mothers. And thus, safety and welfare for the kittens is more important for them than "freedom". As soon she realizes your place is a better practical bet than trying to make it outside with these defenceless kittens, she will copy with the situation. She will even probably let you handle the kittens and foster them. As long you do it respectfully to them and to her.
Its not sure you will manage to foster her, but you will almost surely be able to foster the kittens...

That is possible. There is a male cat that comes by sometimes who she hates. He came by while she was in labor and she immediately smelled that he’d been there and hissed when she went back outside.

I just really don’t know how to make her truly comfortable inside. She does take some comfort from her kittens from the previous litter, but she’s still clearly antsy. It’s such a tough situation! Especially since I have a small place, so I don’t really have the space to put her in a room by herself where my indoor cats won’t bother her.

I do have some calming spray. I think I’ll use a bit more of that. I don’t think she’d appreciate music.

 

[RavenMistwolf]

You could even use a cage / crate. For example a big dog cage. She will probably feel it as a protection! It IS a protection from your residents.

I have a decent sized cat house that she and the kittens have been in. () I sealed the second opening so there is only one entrance. She seems happy with its size.

And put in a Feliway adapter in that room. You can alternatively spray in a sprayable Feliway now and then in this room. (or this calming spray you do already have. )

I have looked into the Feliway calming diffusers before. They have very mixed reviews, with a lot of them mentioning that the things melt! But I have a spray that has calming pheromones in it that I have used a number of times with good results.

She will even probably let you handle the kittens and foster them. As long you do it respectfully to them and to her.
Its not sure you will manage to foster her, but you will almost surely be able to foster the kittens...

I have already been handling them! I was able to weigh them within like 12 hours of birth. She let me handle the kittens from her last litter too, which is why I was able to socialize them and find them homes (mine being the permanent home for one of them). I mean, she gets unhappy if they start crying out while I’m holding them, but that’s her reaction to their cries no matter what.

 

[Sarthur2]

Keep her 100% inside until she is spayed when the kittens are 8 weeks old. The longer she is in the more she should settle down. Do not even let her take her kittens on your patio. If you let her out she will surely get pregnant again.

 

[RavenMistwolf]

until she is spayed when the kittens are 8 weeks old.

I knew 8 weeks was normal!! Locally, everyone refuses to spay/neuter kittens until they’re 3 months old! I had never heard of that before moving here 2 years ago.